The Unshaken Will

THE UNWAVERING WILL42 years of pulling the Rickshaw couldn’t dismantle his will to keep moving ahead.From 1965 to 2007, taking people to their desired places was the life Lalaji Jagde chose for himself.Since the tender age of 10, Lalaji knew he had to start working and earning his own bread. When the children his age were brimming with innocence, Lalaji was working his tender muscles to earn his living.The second oldest son amongst 5 brothers, his mother had given him away to a neighbor who did not have her own children. She nurtured him like his own son and let him do everything he wanted in life.When he quit pulling rickshaw in 2007, the next job he took up was to teach yoga. To support his family and himself he also started a tiffin service in 2009. His wife and daughter-in-law help him in cooking while Lalaji takes care of delivering the tiffins. Currently he has 16 tiffins to his credit, all at different parts of the city.Having 4 sons might be considered a blessing by the biased society, but Lalaji had a different opinion.
He had worked all his life to fend his family and himself and raise his children well. Hence he knew how to survive and nothing could shake the world he had built for himself with all the hard work. Not even the fact that his children refused to support him financially.Lalaji has battled through every rough patch victoriously. When asked about how he unwinds himself, we came to know about his passion for singing and writing songs. He showed a collection of his songs which counted around 150! On an average he writes 3 songs every year. On asking whether he would record his songs or let us record, he plainly refused saying that these songs are the work of his Art and does not wish to sell it.But, we were lucky to lay our hands on some of his beautiful poems.Every year for 9 days he is booked during Navratri to sing bhajans at Bhagwati Mandir located at Dhantoli, Nagpur.He also fasts for those 9 days of Navratri. It seems impossible for an old man to fast for 9 days but for Lalaji it’s a piece of cake. As he fasts for 15 days every month.

Lalaji Jagde at 62 years of age, is a man who, when looks back at his life, would be satisfied and content.How many of us are working towards a life to make it well lived?